The Empath - Missing Scene
by wuemsel
Summary: What it says on the tin. A conversation between Jim and Bones post-ep.


**"The Empath" – Missing Scene**

_by wuemsel_

"C'min!"

The door to McCoy's quarters opened and Kirk walked in, finding his friend seated at his table with a glass and a bottle in front of him.

Upon seeing Kirk, he smiled. "I thought it might be you." He grabbed a second glass from the shelves next to him and put it on the table. "I swear you can smell it when I get out the good stuff."

Frowning, Kirk walked up to the table and picked up the bottle. Saurian brandy. "Should you be drinking in your condition?"

"Yes," McCoy said and poured for them both. He held out one glass. "In fact, let's drink to my health."

After a moment's hesitation, Kirk sat down. "All right." He accepted the glass and touched it to McCoy's. The timid sip he took forced a grimace out of him." The good stuff hurts like hell."

"Don't it?" McCoy grinned.

Kirk took another sip and sighed, feeling the warmth of the strong booze travelling down his throat. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Fine," McCoy said and sprawled in his seat. "Bit exhausted, but I blame Geoff for that. He ran a complete scan, even though I told him I was fine. My vitals have never been better, by the way. Say about them what you want, those Vians know how to cure people."

"Whom they tortured to the brink of death before."

"Well, people who need curing," McCoy said.

"Yes." Kirk inspected the Saurian brandy for a second, gathering his thoughts. At last, he looked up at McCoy. "Can we talk about what you did?"

"Nope."

Kirk snorted softly. "Amusing, Doctor. Let me rephrase it. What the hell were you thinking?"

McCoy sighed. Kirk wanted to shake him for looking so much like an annoyed teenager who knew he was about to be told off.

"Ship needs its Captain and Spock was fiddling with that doo-dah none of us two was able to make sense of, but it looked pretty important, so... it was only logical" - here McCoy had the audacity to smirk – "that I go with them."

"It was my decision," Kirk said sternly.

"You were incapacitated."

"Leonard," Kirk said and that was always a good sign McCoy was in deep trouble, "you're only CMO. It wasn't your decision."

McCoy had tensed slightly, but was still looking like he couldn't care less about being told off by his boss. "As CMO, I declared you unfit for... further torture." He shrugged. "That's my job, it's what you take me on those missions for."

"What about Spock?"

"We needed Spock to work out the transporter thingsy. Don't tell me you coulda done it."

Kirk leaned back in his chair, watching his friend. "You basically assaulted your superior officers. What d'you suggest I write in my report?"

"That I made sure you didn't hit your head?"

Working hard to keep from lashing out at the doctor, Kirk put down his glass. "Hm. I've half a mind to ban you from away missions."

"So my plan's working," McCoy said, unimpressed.

"Damnit Bones – you almost died!"

"I noticed."

"You can't keep doing that!"

McCoy frowned. "KEEP doing it?" he asked. "I'm the only sensible-"

"Yeah, bullshit," Kirk cut him off harshly.

They looked at each other for a moment, the silence thick between them.

"I'm a doctor," McCoy said at last. "My job is to keep people from harm."

"Not by throwing yourself in its way."

"By any means necessary."

Again, they both fell silent. Almost simultaneously, they studied their drinks.

"I could have you court-martialed," Kirk said.

McCoy laughed. "Yeah, you could."

"You know, the only times I've seen Spock really worried is when you pull crap like that."

"Eh," McCoy said. "I've seen him worried more often than that. He's just a scaredy-cat."

Kirk snorted.

"Thanks, by the way," McCoy said. "For, you know, coming to get me. You coulda just transported to the Enterprise and left."

Kirk rolled his eyes. "Oh fuck you."

McCoy chuckled. He lifteds his glass again. "Well, to friendship, I guess. Since that's what saved my life. Us showing some aliens the value of love and all that jazz." He grinned.

Kirk scowled at him but raised his glass as well. "If you ever do anything like that again, I'll personally have you transferred."

"You couldn't live without me."

"Exactly," Kirk said and drank.

THE END


End file.
